Water heater



- Dec. 4, 1934. v w. G, HANNA 1,983,170

' WATER HEATR Filed March 9, 1932 BY WHLTER G. HAN/vn ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1,983,170 WATER HEATER Walter G. Hanna, Oakland, Calif.

Application March 9, 1932, Serial No. 597,702

4 Claims.

'Iv'hevinvention relates to a water heater for providing hot Water at relatively low pressures as for domestic use, and to which heat is supplied from a burner utilizing a gaseous or liquid 5 fuel.

A general object of the invention is to provide a heater wherein to utilize a maximum amount of the heat emanated from the burner.

Another object is to concentrate the heat from 1o the burner on a relatively small volume of water contained in a specific heatingvzone whereby to highly heat the water therein without requiring its recirculation into said zone.

A further object is to provide a relatively *151engthened and more cr less restricted path of circulation of the heated gases from the burner and in thermal contact with the water whereby to utilize the available heat to a maximum degrec.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of `a typical embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the ac- 25 companying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a partially sectional elevation hrough a heater embodying the present invenion. i

Figure 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic and ``Dartly sectional elevation` of a thermostatio control means of the heater.

Figure 3 is a plan section at 3--3 in Figure 1. Figure 4'is a plan section at 4-4 in Figure 1. As particularly illustrated, the features of the `present invention are incorporated in the structure of a heater 5 comprising a usual metallic boiler shell 6 and a burner block '7 mounted on a base 8. The boiler shell 6 is provided with the usual inlet and outlet pipesV 9 and l1 whereby `it may be connected in a water system. As particularly illustrated, the bottom of the boiler cavity is defined by a central portion of the burner block 7 and said block is provided with a circular manifold `cavity 12 therein from which jets 13 extend in a circle about and outwardly of the base of the boiler. A tubular shell 14` encloses the boiler laterally thereof, said shell being particularly shown as defining the inner face of a heat insulation jacket l18. `The diameter of the d jacket cavity dened within the shell 14 exceeds the `boiler `diameter whereby said shell defines a flue space 15 about the boiler, said space lying directly above the jets 13. The jacket 14 is also supported on the boiler block 7 and is prof 375'5 vided at the bottom thereof with a plurality of and spiral flue passage 21 about the outside of `the boiler, it `being noted that said pipe prefer- Aably engages theuboiler wall 19 and shell 14 Vof to define a heating zone 23 opposite the inner openings 16 providing air inlets to the space `15.

A pipe 17 spirally encircles the boiler side wall 19 within the space 15 to partition said space and dene therein a spiral or helical flue passage 21 about the boiler. The upper and lower ends of the pipe l'liare connected with the boiler 'cavityfat the top and bottom thereof whereby to provide for a convection flow of water through said pipe as the water therein is heated from -the hot gases emanating from the burner and B5 rising'through the spiral passage 2l. In this manner, the pipe 17 is arranged to provide for the rapid heating of water therein While defining the top andV bottom walls of the elongated whereby it completely partitions the nue space 15 andallof the heated gases are coniined to a spiral flow thereof in said space.

In order to further insure a rapid and complete utilization of heat from the gases in the passage 21, a tubularshell 22 is provided within the boiler for cooperation with the side wall 19 there- 80 face of the wall 19, said zone being of uniform cross section and freely connected Vwith the rest of the boiler cavity solely at the top and bottom thereof whereby an upwardcirculation of water is arranged to occur therein as heat is received B5 through the wall 19 from the gases in the flue passage 21.

Means are preferably provided for restraining the convection flow of water through the zone .23, said means comprising horizontally disposed f baffle partitions 24 and 25 in said zone.

As particularly shown, they comprise annular rings completely and horizontally partitioning the zone 23 thereat and each provided with one opening 26 connecting vthe zone portions at either side thereof. The Openings 26 are provided at diametrically opposed parts of successive partition rings 24 whereby water owing into a given heating zone portion through an opening 26 must iiow horizontally and half way around the boiler before it may escape upwardly through the opening 26 in the next highest partition.

The lower partitions 25 are also annular and the spaces defined between them are each radially partitioned at one point thereof by means of a i105 wall member 27. At corresponding sides of 'the walls 27, the partitions25 are perforated or terminated to provide openings 28 to permit a flow 0f water between adjacent portions of the heating zone 23. Preferably, and as shown, but one L10 wall 27 is provided between each pair of partitions 25, and these Walls are generally aligned whereby the water in one zone portion must flow horizontally and in a substantially complete circle about the boiler before it may rise into the next Zone portion. It is noted that the circulation of liquid through the Zone 23 at the partitions 25 is opposite to that through the flue passage 21, thereby greatly facilitating the heat exchange through the boiler wall 19.

In order to insure a maximum degree of heat transfer to the water in the boiler, it is desirable that the fumes discharged from the spiral ilue passage be but slightly hotter than the water at the top of the boiler, and means are accordingly provided to adjustably control the'escape of said fumes to insure a maximum transfer of heat therefrom and to the water in the boiler. Accord-- ingly, and as shown in Figures l and 2, the discharge pipe 29 from the flue space l5 is provided with a damper 30 therein arranged for adjustment to control the eifective passage through the pipe 29. In this manner, adjustment of the damper may be made to insure a maximum application f of the heat from the combustion fumes to heat the water in the boiler. As shown, the damper is mounted on a shaft 31 which is journalled in the walls of the pipe 29. I

Thermostat means are provided to automatically set the damper 30, said means jointly controlled by the temperatures at the topcf both the boiler and the ue space 15. As particularly shown in Figures l and 2, a damper control means is provided wherein expansion rods 33 and 34 extending from the bottoms of wells 35 and 33 which respectively extend downwardly into the boiler and flue space, are cooperative to variably dispose the damper in accordance withA the diierence of temperatures in said boiler and'space.

The rods 33 and 34 are arranged to expand solely upwardly through their wells, said wells preferably containing a heat-conducting material such as mercury. As particularly illustrated, the upper, and extending, end of the rod 34 rotatably carries a segmental sprocket wheel 37, and an arm 38 extends from said sprocket and through an eye 39 provided in the upper end of the rod 33 whereby the rods jointly control the rotative setting of the sprocket. A chain lil connects the sprocket 37 with a sprocket 42 mounted on an extending end of the damper shaft 31, the latter having the damper 30 fixed thereto. In this manner, the damper setting may be controlled by and from the expansion rods 33 and 34.

As particularly illustrated in Figure 2, a damper setting is shown for a desired difference in temperature between the heated water and the escaping fumes, such difference being about iive Fahrenheit degrees and the escaping fumes being hotter than the heated water. If the difference in temperature changes, the damper is suitably adjusted to effect a counteracting of said change whereby the desired dii-ference may be automatically maintained. The arrangement is preferably such that when the boiler is full of hot water and the burner is unlit, the damper will be closed to prevent a cooling draft through the flue passage, it being noted that the relation of the operating parts shown in Figure 1 is that for a cold boiler and unlit burner.

Thermostat means may be provided for controlling the supply of fuel to the burner whereby, when the boiler is full of hot water, said fuel supply will be automatically out olf to decrease or put out the heater nre. The aforesaid control is particularly shown as effected through a suitable thermostat 44 installed adjacent the bottom of the boiler and controlling a valve 45 in the burner supply pipe 46. It is noted that when the fire is lessened through operation of the thermostat, the damper 32 is arranged to close in the previously indicated manner.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and While I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

l. In a liquid heater, an upright boiler for the liquid, a shell enclosing said boiler and cooperative therewith to dene a flue space therearound, means in said flue space spirally partitioning the same to provide for a spiral iow of a heating fluid upwardly about the boiler, means dening a series of horizontal heating zones within the boiler and adjacent the side wall thereof, and riser passages connecting said Zones in such a manner as to provide for a circumferential convection circulation through and between the Zones and opposite in direction to the iow in the flue space.

2. In a liquid heater, an upright boiler for the liquid, means defining a flue passage extending spirally about the boiler side wall and in thermal contact therewith, and means denning a liquid passage extending spirally within the boiler side wall and in thermal contact therewith, the spirals of said passages being of mutually opposite pitch.

3. In a liquid heater, an upright cylindrical boiler for liquid to be heated, a cylindrical jacket coaxially encircling said boiler, a partition extending spirally between saidjacket and boiler to denne a spiral passage for uid between the jacket and boiler and in thermal contact with the boiler yside wall, said passage arranged for an upward and convection ow of a heating fluid therethrough, and means defining a passage extending spirally within the boiler and in thermal contact with its said side wall, said last passage arranged Vto contain liquid of the boiler for an upward con- `flow of independent streams of iluid of initially diierent temperatures therethrough in the sam axial direction with respect thereto.

WALTER G. HANNA. 

